Wind musical instrument



July 14, 1925. 1,546,204

. G. GLC'ETENS WIND MUS GAL INSTRUMENT Filed Nov, l0, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 13 31 y im inf?,

July 14, 1925. 1,546,204

. G. cLoa-rENs y WIND MUS I GAL INSTRUMENT Filed Nov. 10, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 14, 1925i.

GEORGES CLOETENS, OF BRUSSELS, BELGIUM,

' y n f WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

'Application filed Nuvember 10, 1922. ASerial No.,600,162. Y.

To all whom t may concern." Y s Be it known that I,GEoRGEs CLoETENs, a subject of the King of the Belgians, and resident of Brussels, Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Wind MusicalV Instruments, of-which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in reed wind musical instruments and is more particularly applicable to a device for permitting the expression of the musical sound produced to be modiiied by the touch or operation of the keys.

yIn known devices of this chracter the eX- pression of the musical sound is modied by placing the instrument in a ,chamber of which the'walls are provided with shutters which may be opened to a greater or less extent in Vsuch a-manner as to permit of thc musical sound to be emitted fromthe cham'- ber .with greater or less expression or intensity.l v Y y Theinvention has for its objectto obviate the use of this chamber and to vary the eX- pression of the musical sound by varying the depression of the keys.

According to the present invention the vibration of each reed is adjusted by a member` actuated by the variations in the pressure of the air whichk causes the reed to vibrate. This member preferably comprises a bellows arranged on the trunk which supplies the air to the reed in question. The bellows acts as a spring the tension of which .varies with the pressure lof air admitted thereto. v

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example a number of forms of construction of the invention. l

Fig. 1 illustrates a stop of reed organs with flaps or hinges in sectional elevation. Fig. 2 illustrates an organ stop similar to that illustrated in Fig. l, but according to another method of construction. n

Fig. 3 shows an organ. stop similar to that illustrated in'Figs. 1 and 2 but operated by air suction.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate an organ' stop in which'the reed itself forms one of the walls of the bellows. .A f v -Figs 6 and 7 yillustrate cross sectionalelevations of ordinary vibrating reeds to which devices according to the invention are applied, and f f' Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate two vibrating reeds, connected together, showing two characteristic positions 'during their operation.

In these drawings, the same Vreference numerals indicate the same or similar parts.

In the organ stop operated by compressed air illustrated in Fig. 1 the key when pivoting on its support 2 raises a controlling valve 3 which is normally held downwards by a springi.

In proportion to the lift of .this valve 3 more or less compressed air blows from the chamber 5 into the trunk sure of air in thetrunk to the amount of depression of the. corresponding key of the reed in question.

The reed illustrated is of a type known as hinged or supported vibrating reed, the reed comprising a chamber 7 open on one side, and a plate 8 of suitable material, preferably of thick glass which bears freely on the walls of this chamberin such a manner as to cover the open side, and being held in place by hinges 19. A spring 20 tends to hold the plate 8 on the walls of the chamber 7. `The pressure which exists in the said chamber causes the plate 8 to vibrate in such a manner as to produce a solemn and intense sound.

6, so that the pres- 6 varies according i The compressed air passes from the trunk l escapes adapted tollimit-the number of vibrations ofthe plate 8 in order to maintain the reed in tune, in relation to the vibrations in presrewhichoccur in the interior of the chamr This compensating device comprises al belloWs 11 which throughv the medium of the abutment 12 acts upon the plate 8.

Compressed air is conducted towards the bellows and tends to open same. air being conducted through an auxiliary conduit 13, in which the same pressure exists as in the trunk 6 so that the abutment 12 acts automatically on the plate 8,l with a force prothat acts on the other vside ofthe plate Y Shutters or valve members 14 and 15 permit of adjustingV permanently bellows 11. Y Y Y Fig. 2 illustrates 4adevice similar to that Yillustrated in Fig. 1, wherein nse is made of two bellows one acting .as the compensat- Vdevice 1 1 and the. other 1.6 asa spring Vcorresponding tothe spring; inv Fig'. 1.

' he compressed air is conducted into the interiorl oftheV bellows 11 the anxiliary .conduit 13 connected to thechainber 7.

-upontherplate'S is constant.

L.The bellows 16 is :in communication with the reservoir for compressed air (not shown) bymeansof the pipe or passage17 in such a manner that the pressure of the bellows 116 V lThe Ashutters 15, 14 and 18 regulate vthe supply of air admitted into the interior of 4the chamber 7 and `to bellows 11 andf16.

slider 21 controls the passage of the conduit 13 according .to the'` pressure which y.exists in the interior ofthe bellows 11 the slider being connected'5to, the bellows -11 by means of a hinge 22.-'` V The plate 8' is held not bya Vhinge,`but ,by a simple bearing the l v:plate 8 being vslightly inclined andv slid into Y' ists a .suitable pressure.k

tr'ols the communication between therbela groove 23 provided in the` wall 24 of the .chamber 7. p f f 1 Fig. 3 illustrates a device similar 'to that illustrated in Fig. 1 -but operating by suction air,` lthe air kentering .through the aperture 24 and passing out through the conduit V25. The same pressure exists in thebeI- lows 11 thechamber 7 Vand the bellows 13.

Fig. 4 VillustratesV another l'form-.of construction of the device wherein ythefmovable wall 8 of Athe bellowsll serves VVas the vibrat- 'ifngplate ofthe chamber 7. f Y i Moreoven'a set of valves 26 and 27 is provided whichY control. the admission and consequently the pressure of compressed air in the interior` fof the vbellows 11. The valve 26 centrolsfthe passage from the conduit 17 terminating in a yreservoir for compressed not shown, in the interior voi which ex- The va'lve 27conlows 11 and the chamber 7;fjv When 'the instrument is in 'a state of rest, the valve26is openy and thepbellows 11 passes 'withla constant pressure ytheplate 8 on the chamber 7 'the valve 27being closed; When thecoinpress'ed airiiows through the conduits 6 and413, the valve 27 opens,fand the pressure which exists in the `bellows 11 i isthesame as that which existsv in the chain- Jbenf?, andfthefvalve closes' automatically. 1

the passage' of air under pressure which passes from the kconduits and 13 into the chamber7 and the Y i *position `oii'rest, in such a -manner as to N this purpose, in place in this'case Vwherein the chamber 7 itselt1 vibrates whilst Y the plate S'remains in a position determined by the pressure which exists Vin the interior of'theibellows 11. In this gure the auxil-A iary compressed air reservoir 28 is shown, which by-ineansfof the conduit 17 supplies the bellows S11 when the instrument is in a Y press the flatemS lagainst the walls Voi the chamber' 7.VV This V 'chamber itself Vis constantly pressed downwards,y by a WeakV 'vibrating reeds comprising the foot 33, the

nozzle 34, the blade 35. and the spring'g'ot.V In the known ldevices `the Vspring acts with constant pressure on the blade.V In Yc-.rderthatthe spring 36 may bear withv a' variable pressure against the blade 35, according tothe variations in the pressure of the air which enters into the foot 33 of the reed,fa bellows devicefis provid'edlwhich lightlyrelieves the tension of the spring in proportion to the press'ure'fof the air which causes Vthe blade 35 to vibrate.y vFor the bellows admits air at a variable pressure throught-he aperture 38 andthis pressure tends toraise the bellows '37 and also the stem 39 which "is DQvided Vwith a hook `40 secured thereto. vThis'hjonk engages the spring 36 and is adapted V to move :the spring lupwards 'so as to 'reduce the tension with which it bears against Ythe bellows 37 is `located near the hinge ofthe latter', whilst in Fig. 6 the inlet aperturef38 ,is provided nearjthe'end'of the Ibellows opposite to the .end at which the hinge A1s located.V Y Il j Figs. 81 and V9 Vrelate to hinged vibrating reeds arranged in pairs and which 'are 'connected to a single admission trunk Y6 in such aniannerl asv co-be vibrated by `the same stream of air which lis aspirated by the 'trunk 6 when the corresponding keyis actuated. The trunk' 6v is.; connected to enambe'rs 43 and 44 of thevibrating reeds by con-` duits 45 and 46. Y i i The two plates 47 connected' together by'ne'ans of' a rod 49. The Yair aspirated draws the Yplates V47 V'and 'and 43 are positively and 44. This movement is counterbalanced by making the plates 47 and 48 of suitable weight and by a suitable spring 50. In the case where compressed air is used a suitable arrangement of the various elements produces the same result.

What I claim is:

1. A beating reed wind musical instrument, comprising, a beating reed, a conduit for supplying compressed air to the reed,

- a key for controlling flow of compressed air duit, the bellows acting by pressing on that face of the reed opposite to the face submitted to the action of the compressed air, to automatically adjust the vibrations of the reed.

3. A beating reed'wind musical instrument, comprising, a beating reed, a conduit, a bellows communicating with the conduit and acting on the reed, and means for permanenty adjusting the section of the passage establishing communication between the be lows and the conduit.

f1. A beating reed wind musical instrument, according to claim 3, said means comprising a hand operable shutter. Y

5. A beating reed wind musical instrument, comprising, a beating reed, a conduit for supplying compressed air to the reed, an air reservoir connected to the conduit, a key vcontrolling flow through the conduit, means automatically controlling vibration of the reed by variation in the pressure of the air in the conduit, and means placing elastic tension on the reed in accordance with the pressure of air in the air reservoir.

6. An instrument according to claim 5, said means automatically controlling said reed being a bellows, and said means placing tension on said reed being a bellows connected with said air reservoir.

7. A beating reed wind musical instrument, comprising, a beating reed, a conduit for supplying compressed air to the reed, a key controlling flow through the conduit, a bellows communicating with the conduit and automatically controlling the vibration of the reed according to variations of pressure in the conduit, a second bellows placing elastic tension on the reed, and a valve controlling the supply of air to the first said bellows, the valve being controlled by pressure variations in the rst said bellows.

Signed at Brussels, Belgium this 25th day lof October A. D. 1922.

GEORGES CLOETENS.

Harem, I 

